Monday, March 2, 2015

Easy Dinner Prep Tips

I've been on a health kick lately and making a quick healthy dinner is something that makes me happy and my body even happier. To make sure that I can make dinner quickly, I have three tips that I use to meal prep on Sundays that makes my life easier!

1. I like to buy precut veggie mixtures or make my own for the week. I then cook the veggies to day of, where they still have some crunch but soften just a bit. One of my favorites is the Asparagus mixture from Trader Joe's but I usually add half a red onion to it to make it more filling. Sautéed in olive oil or butter with a little merlot salt, it is to die for and really good for you. I also really like carrots sautéed in coconut oil with maple syrup or mini zucchini with olive oil and lemon.

2. I make a large pot of grains for the week and portion the cooked grains in small bags with a little of the cooking water. The cooking water in the bag is for when I microwave them to make sure do not get all dried out. I love wheat berries, barley or brown rice but I try to keep the amount that I eat of them down. Usually two cups of dry grains yields 6 to 8 bags depending on the grain and the serving size - I do 1/3 cup.

3. I like to make a protein with my meals. Because I am vegetarian most of the time, I usually make two kinds of protein prep. For beans or lentils, I make them in the slow cooker during the day so I do not have to wait on them when I get home. For fish, I make canned salmon or tuna burgers or I defrost tilapia in water during the day so when I get home, it is ready to be cooked.

These three tips have let me make a good dinner that doesn't kill my whole evening schedule. Hopefully, they can be helpful to you as well!